Iraqi Immigrants Face Unforseen Challenges In United States

New York Times:

Not long after the Iraq war began in 2003, Uday Hattem al-Ghanimi was accosted by several men outside the American military base where he managed a convenience store. They accused him of abetting the Americans, and one fired a pistol at his head.

Now, after 24 operations, Mr. Ghanimi has a reconstructed face as well as political asylum in the United States. On July 4, his wife and three youngest children joined him in New York after a three-year separation.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[S1m0n]

03:30 PM on 08/13/2009

Nobody loves a quisling.

[Mario Ruiz]

02:57 PM on 08/13/2009

Victims of our war of choice in Iraq: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Iraq_War

And yet we're supposed to be proud of paying for this man's surgery. Wow

[TLV]

12:38 PM on 08/13/2009

The more people of brown skin and curly hair emigrate to our shores, the more people who look like Jesus did will be walking among us.

Perhaps this is how Jesus will "return"..... in the form of human flesh of those whose lives we have disrupted with war.

[Strega]

12:40 PM on 08/13/2009

that's an interesting thought

[jack7576]

12:27 PM on 08/13/2009

good luck to them

[LeftLeanWing]

12:21 PM on 08/13/2009

I think life would be easier for him and his family..

IF HE GOT THE HELL OUT OF MANHATTAN. !

That is not the easiest place to relocate to while unemployed even for citizens of New Jersey; let alone a family of foreigners

What not move to Dearborn, Michigan or some other town in these vast United States ?

[TLV]

12:29 PM on 08/13/2009

Why so angry?

I expected that those who would rebel the loudest would be those who cheered the war that was billed as FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY for the oppressed Iraqi people. Not someone who labels him or herself LeftLeanWing.

[Strega]

12:39 PM on 08/13/2009

citizens of NJ! hilarous - listen, this is where they immigrated to, not Michigan - your suggestion might have been to one of the outer boros - they could probably find a more affordable lifestyle in parts of brooklyn or staten island, where there are some pockets of iraqi immigrants

[ebleyes]

12:07 PM on 08/13/2009

Iraqi's are extremely smart, wait for a few years and he will be a millionaire.

[noweknow]

12:06 PM on 08/13/2009

Maybe it's karma for their betrayal to their native country Iraq. I just hope they don't betray America since they seem so used to betrayal.

[Open eyes]

12:14 PM on 08/13/2009

So was he supposed to side with Al-queda in Iraq? Maybe he would be a hero to you if he wore a s/u/i/c/i/d/e vest and blew up some US soldiers

[Bitsko]

12:17 PM on 08/13/2009

Life must be easy when you're a simpleton.

[JoeBlough]

11:49 AM on 08/13/2009

So, who paid for all this surgery?

[Open eyes]

12:08 PM on 08/13/2009

Americans did - and that's the least we could do. He was attacked by thugs because he was friendly with our troops

[JoeBlough]

12:47 PM on 08/13/2009

I thought Americans were against government health care.

[Matrsnot]

02:35 PM on 08/13/2009

The VERY least we could do is foot the bill for the actions of his countrymen. Is that somehow what you think also about the union thugs who deemed a black man too friendly to conservatives and beat him up? Would YOU like to foot his bill? the very least you could do since he was hurt defending the 1st Amendment

[peterg76]

11:49 AM on 08/13/2009

Challenges, yes; injustices, perhaps. But what's supposed to be unforeseen?

[BevDiane]

02:16 PM on 08/13/2009

Immigrant or not, when he finds a job, he will still be treated better on that job than native born Black people in the US.

[naturallight]

11:33 AM on 08/13/2009

I thought Bush had a way to keep them out??!?

Don't like it? Don't let the door hit ya.....

[Open eyes]

12:07 PM on 08/13/2009

Wow we invade and occupy the country they are from, and wingnuts like you want to "keep them out"? You should be the one to leave you cold-blooded m/o/r/o/n

[kk78]

01:09 PM on 08/13/2009

until they take your job as some say

[Strega]

12:34 PM on 08/13/2009

your a$$inine comment is absolutely appalling - wish we could keep YOU out

[PoliticalRockChick]

10:55 AM on 08/13/2009

I know everything that man is going through. The life of an immigrant is extremely hard. They'll make it.

[TLV]

12:30 PM on 08/13/2009

Ours is a nation of immigrants. Pssst. Don't tell that to right wingers. They all say they are from here.

[Strega]

12:36 PM on 08/13/2009

unless they're full blooded native americans, they're not from here -